Review // The Book Thief

The Book Thief

by Markus Zusak

❝I love this place and hate it, because it is full of words.❞ (522)

Nothing spoilericious in this review, but if you like to figure out things by yourself—like, say, who the mysterious narrator is—I recommend you come back here after you're done reading.

This book took me almost an entire month to read. Instead of Halloween candy, which can all be consumed in an afternoon (urgh, stomachache), The Book Thief was an apple pie, rich and thick, meant to be savored and way better than a crappy fun-size Snickers*.

Death tells the story of Liesel Meminger, beginning summer of '39. Liesel is an illiterate German child who is sent away to live with a set of foster parents, Hans and Rosa Hubermann, in Mulching, Germany during World War II and the Holocaust. Coping with the too recent death of her younger brother, Liesel turns to her newfound papa with a stolen book, The Grave Diggers Handbook. The book sparks a passion for words as Liesel fights her way through growing up in Nazi Germany, protecting a Jew in her basement, and thieving—mostly books.

It would make sense that a book about words uses good ones, and The Book Thief is pages upon pages of perfect lines and incredible diction.

There isn't really any mystery in this book, not that that is a bad thing. Sometimes the narrator will spoil something 200-300 pages before it happens. Because the subject matter of the book was so thick, I think that if Zusak tried to cram too much mystery or suspense into these pages, that it might have quickly become either too cheesy or too much to handle. However, spoiling just enough so that the story read like the life story you might tell your grandchildren made it much more believable. It's not like everything was spoiled either, I was still very surprised when the climax and then the ending came.

I think the portrayal of Death is spot on here. As a whole humans tend to be haunted by Death, and making him just as equally perturbed by humans was a remarkable twist.

I feel like I should mention something about the characters: Liesel, Papa and Mama, Max, Rudy Stiener, Ilsa Hermann, but right nothing is coming to mind. They're all excellent people that kind of take the weapons and numbers out of war and make it more about the people, that there were actual lives going on in the midst of this war, and that Germany wasn't made of terrible emotionless leeches.

OVERALL (because this is apparently a high school essay), I can only recommend that you read it. I have nothing but praise for The Book Thief. It's a very sad but nonetheless full story about a girl and some words.

And now I must confess: Sometimes books from teachers' shelves may or may not end up at my house well into the summer, and when that happens, I don't always return them.

☀☀☀☀☀ - 5/5

*Please Note: I hate Snickers and love apple pie. You may mentally adjust foods as needed to suit your own taste buds. I would really like an apple pie right now. Or maybe some cheesecake.

Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Forbidden Forest

The Forbidden Forest

In which Harry, Hermione, Neville, and Draco serve the scariest detention ever. 

For being out of line up in the off-limits highest tower and getting caught by Filch, Harry and Hermione have to serve a detention. Even worse, Neville got caught trying to warn them that Malfoy was tattling on them, and he got caught too. Even worse, they lost 150 points for being out of bed after hours and everyone hates them. The silver lining to this predicament, I guess, is that Malfoy got caught trying to bust them.  

At one point McGonagall says, "I suppose you think it's funny that Longbottom here heard the story and believed it, too?" (243) I think she said that based on what she knew of James and the other Marauders, thinking that Harry would be the same as his father, and I think it was an unfair assumption on her part. Harry is like James in a lot of ways, but I think he also inherited Lily's softer, compassionate touch. 

For the next few days, Harry is talked about and hated by all Gryffindors, except for Neville, Hermione, and Ron. Get used to it, Harry. If no one else, Neville, Hermione, and Ron will be a part of the small faction of people you find you can trust in coming years. You'll even start to doubt Dumbledore, but you'll always trust Neville, Ron, and Hermione. 

A little bit of irony: they serve their detention after hours in the forbidden forest (key word: forbidden), even though they were all caught for being in a forbidden part of the castle after hours. Though Filch despises the punishments they give these damn'd spoilt rotten cretins, at least the gang gets to serve their detention with Hagrid. Even when he's not spilling crucial plot details left and right, he's still a great guy. Their mission: find dead unicorn.

Whilst frolicking through the forest of mystery, the gang runs into a centaur. Centaurs don't play a huge roll in the books, but they do play an important one. And something tells me that "Mars is bright tonight," (253) isn't just a mysterious observation on the weather. Mars is the bringer of war. Maybe it was in reference to the fight between Voldemort and Harry (spoiler alert—coming up in one chapter), or maybe it was a hint at the war to come. The second wizarding war. If J.K. Rowling mentions something twice in a chapter, it's probably important.

Harry stumbles across something important when he travels deeper into the forest and finds the dead unicorn. A not-human, not-animal being swoops down upon it and drinks the silver blood. And Harry's scar burns badly. Get used to that, too, Harry. Scar = Voldemort. Luckily the centaur, Firenze saves Harry before anything terrible happens. And a little more about the meaning of the unicorn blood is revealed. Basically, if Voldemort gets his hands on the stone, Harry faces the same fate as the unicorn.

In slightly happier news, Harry gets his cloak back. Dumbldore, you goober.

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

Norbert the Norwegian Ridgeback

In which a dragoness is born.

Finals are just beyond the horizon—ten   w h o l e   weeks away—for the first years, Hermione already has them color-coding their notes. It's like your first year of high school when you think final can't possibly get any worse. But fact: they can, and do, get worse each and every year. Unfortunately, wizards don't have the luxury of a senior year where they don't need to take finals—if I remember correctly, they have NEWT's in their seventh year, which just seems terrible.

At the library, they find Hagrid looking for some books. Hagrid does a lot of domestic things: makes tea, cooks, cleans, gardens, knits, and bakes. For some reason I always saw him being a reader of the classics: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Wuthering Heights, Gone with the Wind. Don't even deny it, Hagrid is in a book club with some middle aged witches from Hogsmeade.

But NEWT's and book clubs take up 0% of this chapter, so we must move on.  

Basically, Hagrid's hatching a dragon. And Harry, Ron, and Hermione happen across it because they were in the right place at the right time—not that Hagrid would have ever been able to keep a secret as big as a dragon. 

The little picture of baby Norbert(a) at the top of the chapter is very cute and all, but I expected a Norwegian Ridgeback to be terrifying. A Ridgeback is no Horntail, but I don't think a Ridgeback is a winged alligator either. (Not that alligators aren't terrifying in their own special way.) 

"Hagrid, you live in a wooden house." (233) Oh, Hermione, you infinite fountain of wisdom.

Hagrid, oh my gosh, needs to keep his trap shut. Not only does he tell three impish eleven-year-olds that he's hatching an illegal dragon, but he also reveals that the teachers each have their own parts in protecting the stone: Sprout, Flitwick, McGonagall, Quirrell, Dumbledore, and Snape. If Harry and gang weren't suspicious before, they certainly are now. 

Though Norbert(a) is still illegal, though Hagrid still lives in a house made of wood, Harry, Ron, and Hermione make an arrangement with Charlie to transport the dragon to Romania—home, home on the range / where the dragons and Snorkacks all play / where seldom is heard . . . 

Anyway at midnight on Saturday, Hermione and Harry break in the new invisibility cloak and transport nervous Norbert(a) to the tallest tower, cleverly marked, Tallest Tower ↑. On their way back downstairs, however, they forget their cloak and promptly get caught by Filch. Dude, how the the hell could you forget your fancy new invisibility cloak? If Ron were with you, this never would have happened. 

"Well, well, well, . . . We are in trouble." (241) Crap.

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - Nicolas Flamel

Nicolas Flamel

In which the mystery of Nicolas Flamel is solved and Harry plays another game of Quidditch.

Neville, at this point in the story, is struggling. He's got Malfoy bullying him left and right, he doesn't feel confident that he should be a Gryffindor, and his forgetfulness and nervousness aren't doing him many favors. He's got Hermione, Harry, and Ron as his fellow Gryffindor comrades, but he's not ♥best-friends-for-life-even-when-we-die♥ with them, and he hasn't really developed a sense of self-confidence yet. Harry, Ron, and Hermione try to help Neville when Malfoy casts a Leg-Locker Curse on him. Neville kind of plays the role of the token—I don't want to call him an idiot—not-the-brightest-wand-in-the-shop (there is at least one of these in every Disney show), but luckily he grows up and, particularly around the fifth book, starts to grow into his enormous shoes. This is not a metaphor; Neville really does have larger-than-average feet. It all leads up to the end when he reaches his full potential of badassery. Stick around to the end, and I'll talk about it.

After helping Neville, Harry receives a chocolate frog card, ugh, Dumbledore again—OH MY HOLY MAJOLY, IT'S NICOLAS FLAMEL! See kiddies, always remember to floss your pearly whites and read the backs of your chocolate frog cards. At this point in time Hermione has a revelation about the Sorcerer's Stone, which we all know about, so I won't explain it here. However, it might also be in your interest to note that Flamel is from Devon, which is also the home of the Weasleys, the Lovegoods, the Diggorys, and some other wizards whose names I can't remember. 

The second half of this chapter is focused on the Quidditch final, which Harry wins. In record time. Snape is refereeing this particular match, which makes Harry very nervous, and apparently he's not the only nervous one, as Dumbledore comes to watch the match, even though he hates Quidditch. Just kidding, he's just too busy making hunches and saving the world and playing hide-and-seek with Fawkes to ever show up at any matches.

It's after the match when things get really exciting—or scary, depending on how you look at it. Harry follows Snape and Quirrell into the forbidden forest and eavesdrops on their private conversation. And according to Harry the stone's only safe as long as Quirrell stands up to Snape. Actually Harry, you've got it almost completely backwards. As long as Quirrell doesn't know how to get past Fluffy, the stone is safe. What you really need to do is make sure Quirrell doesn't go out for a drink anytime soon. I think the whole reason J.K. Rowling wrote the series was to warn children of the dangers of drinking. (Just kidding. Sort of.) But a lot of the bad things that happen can be traced back to alcohol: Ron almost dying in the Half-Blood Prince, Slughorn giving away his memories, Hagrid winning all sorts of all sorts of illegal creatures from gambling in sketchy bars, yada, yada, yada. . . .

And now that we know all drinking is bad, we round out the chapter with a Gryffindor house party. In which I'm sure Butterbeer is consumed.

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Review // Persepolis

Persepolis

by Marjane Satrapi

I know I've read a graphic novel before, maybe in middle school, but I don't remember it at all, so I'll just count Persepolis as my first real graphic novel. Yay.

When I think of graphic novels, my mind immediately  spirals to funny, anecdotal, and generally amusing content. Like the comic strips in the news. The story of Persepolis is a true autobiographical account of Marjane Satrapi's childhood (preteenhood? young-adulthood? eleven-to-fourteenhood?) in Iran in the 1980s, during the Iranian Revolution.

The juxtaposition of the serious story and the less serious comic book format worked well, in my opinion, especially so because I had little prior knowledge of the topic. It was laid out in a manner that was very easy to understand and follow.

Throughout the story I admired how ballsy Marjane and her family were. Though they were in a terrible situation they still managed to have fun: they threw illegal parties and housed illegal things in their homes. Marjane herself was brave (or stupid) as well, sneaking out of school, wearing improper clothing in the streets, and coming into adulthood by testing cigarettes. That made me laugh. Marjane's an amusing girl.

If you haven't read a graphic novel before, or maybe you have, or maybe you're just looking for something a little bit different from what you've been reading lately (something that's not that crap that your English teacher assigned you), then I recommend you read Persepolis. And if you don't like it, it's really short and not likely to do much serious damage.

♢♢♢♢ - 4/5

If you want to find out more about the Iranian Revolution, visit your local library today! Just kidding—here are some links. I know Wikipedia is, like, the cardinal sin of researching, but:

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranian_Revolution

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Not_Without_My_Daughter
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZfO_A7mNVM&feature=related
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_W2SUn1ZNU

World Civilizations

My World Civilizations handout included some riveting questions:

"What is and insulae and what were the promblems with them?"

"Who is Virgil and Horace Describe their most famous works and the purpose for their writing?"

"How did the philosophy of Stoicism effect Roman law?"

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Mirror of Erised

The Mirror of Erised

In which Christmas arrives at Hogwarts, Hermione encourages rule-breaking, and a mirror is discovered. And some cold feet/socks metaphors, which I am allowed, simply because all socks have deep metaphorical resonance.

The Sorcerer's Stone is arguably the most iconic Harry Potter book. When I think of Harry Potter, something I always think of first is Christmas. They sure know how to throw a Christmas at Hogwarts. I think the chapter can best be split up into two halves, the first half consisting of a very cheerful Christmas Day and he second consisting of a Christmas night full of mysteriousness and desperate longings of the heart.

Though Harry and Ron are two of the only people staying at the castle over holiday, it's not a sad thing. You would spend holiday at Hogwarts, too, if you were given the option. And though there are only about five students staying at the castle, Hogwarts decorates for the occasion—big time. 

There's an air of mystery surrounding the mysterious Nicolas Flamel and Hagrid refuses to say anything  regarding the name. Harry, Ron, and Hermione resort to researching in the library, but they can't find him anywhere. Actually J.K. Rowling is rather smart here: all the titles Hermione drops in this chapter "Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, or Notable Magical names of Our Time . . . Important Modern Magical Discoveries, and A Study of Recent Development in Wizardry" (197-198) are all associated with recentness. Of course Flamel wouldn't be in any of those—he's ancient. Hermione recommends Harry and Ron try the restricted section of the library, which is strictly out-of-bounds without a signed permission slip. 

Christmas is full of celebrations, most of which are entirely new experiences for Harry. Sure, Christmas with Dudley must have been great (for Dudley), but I don't think Harry would have ever gotten to participate in any of the traditions most people share during the holidays. I think Vernon Dursley would probably relish at the opportunity to tell Harry he'd been a bad kid and stick coal in his stocking each year. For the first time, Harry receives real presents. Not socks. (Because Harry doesn't really get cold feet everatall. The anti-cold-footer.)

A prime example of things in the Sorcerer's Stone just falling into Harry's lap: First he receives a flute from Hagrid, which he'll use later against Fluffy, then he receives an invisibility cloak, which we now know is a gift directly from Albus Dumbledore himself—and is useful to the extreme. I'll also mention that the homemade fudge and knitted sweaters Mrs. Weasley gave to Harry was really kind; my own grandma is also a maker of fudge and garish sweaters (red, white, and blue themed sweaters; green and orange color-coordinated vests).

At this point in the chapter the mood of the day takes a turn from hunky-dory Christmas extravaganza to mysterious Christmas night. When Ron is asleep Harry takes his gifted invisibility cloak out for a little joy ride to the restricted section. he doesn't find anything out regarding Flamel, but whilst trying to escape Filch and Mrs. Norris, Harry does stumble across a rather interesting finding. 

What would you see in the Mirror of Erised? That is the question. You may already know this, but if you read the inscription at the top of the mirror backwards it reads, "I show not your face but your heart's desire." And that is the exact purpose of the mirror. 

Harry revisits the mirror a few times, bringing Ron with him once. In the mirror he is entranced by the smiling faces of his family. On his third visit to the mirror, Harry meets Dumbledore, and the headmaster tells him that in the mirror he sees himself holding a pair of warm woolen socks. Maybe a lie, my guess is that Dumbledore sees the same thing Harry does, his family, safe and well. Being a particularly cold-footed being, I don't think socks would be such a bad route to go. Maybe Dumbledore is holding socks, metaphorical socks. For his metaphorically cold feet.

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Review // The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars

by John Green

After receiving my lovely copy of TFiOS, signed with a lovely blue J-scribble, I immediately sat down and read the whole thing, taking only a short shower/bathroom/snack break, halfway through.

From my experience, the best books I've ever read are the ones where I read them, previously knowing nothing at all about their contents, kind of like this book. Now I'm not spoiling anything in this review, I'm just saying that this book is extraordinary and you may want to read that before you read this. So go read The Fault in Our Stars first, then come back and read this. Maybe?

So. Summary. Hazel Lancaster, age sixteen has cancer. But through a medical miracle involving a Phalanxifor, she's still living. At her terrible cancer support group meetings she meets Augustus Waters, fellow cancer survivor, seventeen. (Spoiler alert: they sort of like each other maybe a little bit.)

Hazel is sixteen? I'm sixteen! Hazel has a friend named Isaac? I have a friend named Isaac! Hazel has a friend named Augustus? I have a friend named Augustus (not even lying). Hazel has short hair? I have short hair! I guess that's about where our similarities stop; although, there's something I admire about every single one of John Green's characters and that is that they are both outrageously smart and fantastically teenager-y (adolescent: hate that word).

Augustus Waters reminds me of Josh Sundquist. A lot. And wouldn't you know it, he's mentioned first thing in the Acknowledgements. Augustus Waters is so hot and such a full person, and that everything he says is metaphorical just adds to his greatness, and I should really stop fan-girling.

There are about a million different metaphors and ways to look at this book. It deals with such a wide variety of topics, and though it is a book about cancer it's also a book about love, the size of infinities, the way people treat others who are dying more obviously, what happens the the characters when the pages end, and how asinine certain ex-girlfriends and sequestered authors are.

The Fault in Our Stars complies with my theory that it is impossible to write about a swing set without metaphorical substance. Like Bunny bread and creamy peanut butter attract grape jelly, a swing set demands a metaphor.

It's a very serious book, with many funny bits. Very deep and poetic with some super-fun-vengeful parts. I must admit, I think TFiOS is my favorite John Green book of all. I think he gets better with each one.

☁☁☁☁☁ - 5/5

Harry Potter Hullaballoo - Quidditch

Quidditch

In which Harry competes in the first Quidditch match of the season.

If I could use any spell from the wizarding world, without a doubt I would choose the bluebell flames that are Hermione's specialty. Carrying a blue fire with me in a little jar? What more could a girl ask for?

Now that Ron, Hermione, and Harry are friends, things really take a turn for the speedier, plot-wise. We hardly get to settle in to their newfound camaraderie before we find out several important things.

*******Several Important Things*******  

Snape did try to get past the three-headed dog over Halloween. And he got hurt doing so. We don't know how or why yet, but let's face it. You totally thought he was the bad guy the first time you read this, too. Until the bitter bitter end there was no way anyone could possibly trust Snape without any misgivings. Except for Dumbledore. 

Hermione is really smart, and it's really kind of her to help Harry and Ron with their homework. She also becomes a lot more personable when she makes a few friends. I like that the three of them are all so different, and without any of the three of them they wouldn't have had a chance at beating Voldemort.

Someone, who everyone believes is Snape at this point, tried to kill Harry by jinxing his broom. Snape is one suspicious little worm in this book, always running around doing slimy things. Where is Dumbledore during the Quidditch matches. What can he possibly have to do that's more important than Gryffindor beating Slytherin at Quidditch?

Lee Jordan gives the best Quidditch commentary. Ever. Even though his character is pretty minor, he's just so likable. He's the best best friend Fred and George ever had. 

Hagrid has a love for the strange and unusual creatures. And he should probably stop going to the pub, because it never ends well. In just this year he bought a three-headed dog and a dragon egg. Then it just went downhill: flobberworms, blast-ended skrewts, furnishing the entire maze for the third task of the triwizard tournament, his giant half-brother. No more drinking, Hagrid. I just love that the dog's name is Fluffy. Someone should invest their time in a Fluffy/Fang fanfiction.

Lastly, NICHOLAS FLAMEL. Who the belerkdiderk is he? Maybe Harry should try looking him up in the restricted section of the library. No, that's against the rules. Maybe he'll receive something for Christmas that can help him avoid getting caught. No, that's completely ludicrous. 

Harry wins the Quidditch match by very nearly swallowing the Snitch. All is well. For now.

Before I leave I just want to touch on one more thing. More than a story that ends with the last pages of the book and a few lingering thoughts, Harry Potter is an entire world. J.K. Rowling created extensive backgrounds. She knows who Harry's grandparents were, who ended up with whom, what Sirius Black's summer job was in his teenage years, what instrument Narcissa Malfoy knows how to play. She created all these things like "there were seven hundred ways of committing a Quidditch foul and that all of them had happened during a World Cup match in 1473." (181) If you want to look at the extensive amount of information that isn't written into the storyline, just check out the Harry Potter wiki page or something. If you've never done it, prepare for your mind to be blown.

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - Halloween

Halloween

In which Harry learns how to play Quidditch and encounters a troll in the girls' bathrooms.

Whatever's in the package, "'It's either really valuable or really dangerous,' said Ron. 'Or both,' said Harry." (163) Both, Harry, both. On the subject of immortality and infinite wealth, I think the two are natural desires of human beings, but neither is a very wise thing to possess. 

In Elementary school I was a lot like Hermione. Straight A's, criss-cross-applesauce-hands-in-my-lap sittery, never broke the rules, would probably cry if I forgot to bring my homework to school. Oh how the times have changed. For this reason though, Hermione is probably my favorite female character . . . ever. I mean she grows out of her initial Ms. Bossy-Crossy Know-It-All I'm-The-Best-At-Magic-Y'all self pretty quickly. And it starts with this chapter. More on that later.

Before Halloween, Oliver Wood, Sammie's second grade crush, teaches Harry how to play Quidditch on his new Nimbus 2000. I feel like every teacher at Hogwarts is on Harry's side, save Quirrell and Snape (is on Harry's side but certainly doesn't act like it). Getting his own brand new broomstick was 100% special treatment.

"You're saying it wrong . . . It's Wing-gar-dium Levi-o-sa, make the 'gar' nice and long." Honestly, Ronald, how could you be so stupid? And don't make fun of Hermione either, later on you may or may not get married.

It's Halloween night, and everything is just peachy until a troll comes raging through the castle. I always wondered how it actually got inside without anyone noticing, because apparently trolls are really huge, loud, and stupid. Maybe there are trolls meandering in the forest? No, it was a mountain troll. I don't know. How did they fit Fluffy inside, either? Hogwarts greatest mysteries.

Knowing that Quirrell is behind these schemes, we realize that Snape's running in the opposite direction when the troll comes is only him trying to stop Quirrell from entering the trapdoor and getting the stone, not Snape letting the troll in the castle. That means Snape had to be keen to Quirrell's plans very on. Any guesses as to why Dumbledore wasn't in the loop? One of his foibles is that he tends to give people the benefit of the doubt. In Chamber of Secrets he does mention that people are innocent until they are proven guilty.

When the troll strikes, Harry and Ron realize that Hermione doesn't know about it, so they go on a rescue mission to get her from the girls' lavatories, where they happen to meet the troll. "Harry then did something that was both very brave and very stupid." (176) If I had a dollar for every time that happened. But most courage requires a little stupidity, a pinch of insanity. And they do, they rescue Hermione from the mountain troll. Five points for Gryffindor first years.

"From that moment on, Hermione Granger became their friend. There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them." (179) Gorgeous line. It's one of the few parts in the series in which everything is unequivocally right. Harry belongs at Hogwarts; he is home. It is safe here.

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Review // Zombicorns

Zombicorns

by John Green

There are a ton of DK Publishing's "My First" books out there. My First ABC Book, My First Colors Book, My First Farm Book, My First Tractor Book. I just read my first Zombie Apocalypse Novella. Although Zombiecorns and DK publishing have nothing to do with each other, I think DK should publish a "My First Zombie Apocalypse Book." It'd be fun for all ages.

And although I have little to no experience in zombie apocalypses and novellas (just a few here and there), I think that this was really good for a book that was whipped together. I'm not sure I'd want to read this for another two hundred pages, but short and sweet is the way I like 'em. That's what she said. Plus I got stuck reading The Epic of Gilgamesh over the weekend, and I needed a break from it—an every-two-pages break.

Oh, what is it? That might be important to know. Zombicorns not about Zombie Unicorns—but if a horse was infected, then it developed a very sharp cone-shaped tumor on its forehead I guess it technically could be about zombie unicorns. It's about Mia, though, who is one of the last people in Chicago after the rest of the world gets Z'd up from contracting a virus that is in corn, which is in everything. And you can download it for free, if you haven't already: http://effyeahnerdfighters.com/post/2835409604/didnt-get-your-chance-to-get-your-hands-on-john

Lesson of the Day: It is considerably harder to finish a book when the internet is floating in the background of your computer screen just calling out your name. If I ever got an ipad, I don't think I'd ever finish reading a single book on it.

Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Midnight Duel

The Midnight Duel

In which Harry is challenged to a duel. Wizard style. And runs into Cerberus during a nighttime stroll. And also happens to be the youngest wizard to make the Quidditch team in a century, even though he should have been expelled before he could say "Quidditch."

Harry fits the mold of an epic hero in that he rises to fame by having all sorts of talents that no one else has. Some of these include surviving the killing curse four times, being able to talk to snakes, being able to produce a corporeal patronus when he's thirteen, and being the only first year to be allowed on a house Quidditch team in an entire century—even though he only just picked up a broom during flying classes one afternoon. 

But as epic heroness goes, Harry had to save Neville's remembrall, so he caught it after a fifty foot dive on a rickety school broomstick. And McGonagall saw him and put him on Gryffindor's Quidditch team as a seeker—whatever that is. And we first meet Oliver Wood, whom I may or may not have had a teensy weensy really big crush on when I was in second grade. 

I know Lucius Malfoy would want Draco to learn how to fly, seeing as it's a wizardly thing, but I can't imagine him teaching his son flying skills much less getting on a broomstick and playing Quidditch with Draco. No wonder Draco's been "doing it wrong for years" (146). Draco does become jealous of Harry's prowess on the sweeper and challenges Harry to a midnight duel in the trophy room. 

Flanked by Ron, and later Hermione and Neville, Harry risks getting in trouble and braves the castle at night. And of course Malfoy doesn't show up to the trophy room at all. Rather tips off Filch that someone will be down there. It's a pretty shallow move, but I guess Slytherins aren't known for playing fair. Luckily Harry and friends make it out alive, not too terribly damaged; although, they did run into an angry three-headed dog. No worries. 

Though Hermione is a smart smart girl, when she's younger she does say some pretty stupid things, like, "we could all have been killed—or worse, expelled." (162) She does get less uppity though later on. 

Something that is so fun about the first book is that everything Harry needs to solve the mystery kind of falls into his lap. It's not like he was really looking for any of it. Hagrid also lets crucial details slip here and there, which coincidentally answer all the questions Harry has.

This was a nice chapter, not a lot going on. The only thing of utmost importance is that the tiny parcel Hagrid and Harry took out of vault 713 is hidden behind the trap door the three-headed dog is guarding. What could it be? Dun. Dun. Dun. . . . 

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Potions Master

The Potions Master

In which Harry meets the Potions Master and gets a whole two points deducted from Gryffindor on his very first day of school.

This chapter was, first of all, extremely short, and it didn't have a lot going on in terms of the plot, but we do get to meet most of the teachers, and there are a couple of things to note. We should start with Harry's classes and teachers. 

Hogwarts seems so confusing to navigate, because everything moves and changes. There are portraits acting like doors, doors acting like tapestries, passwords to remember, trick staircases, and hallways that only exist on Mondays when the weather is nice. It's like a giant Haunted House, but Peeves is the only poltergeist that really haunts it. Maybe the Bloody Baron. I was reading about poltergeists and found that some people believe they're created by people and composed of the frustrations people feel. An entire castle of moody teenagers would make Peeves one mean Poltergeist. 

First and second years don't get to choose any of their classes. They only take the required ones. There's History of Magic with Professor Binns, a ghost who just kept teaching even after he died. Professor Flitwick, a tiny teacher, teaches charms, which seems like such a cool class, definitely one of the best. Professor McGonagall, the transfiguration professor is also the head of Gryffindor House. She's tough but fair, and she already shows a liking for Hermione, who can turn her matchstick into a needle. Transfiguration also seems really cool; I just don't know how useful it'd really be, having to learn a new spell for everything you would want to transfigure. Quirrel's Defense Against the Dark Arts Class is pretty much a joke, and his room is a little too garlicky for anyone's liking. 

Lastly Snape. After reading the series, although I can understand why Snape is the way he is to Harry, I wouldn't call him my favorite character. That he loved Lily, and Harry reminded him too much of James isn't a good enough excuse for him being an outright bully to Harry for the majority of Harry's time at Hogwarts. Snape does have his redeeming qualities and saves Harry's neck many many times, though. So, while not my favorite, he is certainly one of the most compelling characters that J.K. Rowling has created. His flippity floppity from good to bad, as well as the fact that Dumbledore trusted him so steadfastly really adds dimension to him. A lot of the characters are like that: they're kind of cliché-seeming at first, but Rowling adds more and more dimension to them as Harry gets older.

We don't know much about Snape at this point in time, even though I just wrote a huge paragraph on how complex he was, but we do know these things: Snape teaches Potions. Snape likes Draco. Snape hates Harry. Dumbledore never gave Snape the job he craved, Defense Against the Dark Arts. And I'm not sure if we do or don't know this yet, but Snape is the head of the Slytherin house (and was in Slytherin himself.)

Snape deducts two points from Harry the first day. One was for Harry's cheek, which Harry probably deserved. He is rather full of cheek. Cheeky Gryffindor.

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Sorting Hat

The Sorting Hat

In which Harry arrives at Hogwarts, is promptly sorted into a house and gorges himself on everything but the peppermints. No. Peppermints. Ever.

"Your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts." (114) So obviously it is very important to get sorted into a good one. That's the thing about the houses, though. Although there's a rivalry among the students in each of the four, the point isn't for there to be a "good house" or a "bad house." The point is that different houses are full of different people; therefore, different houses appeal to all types of witches and wizards. 

I was thinking about secondary houses, like, what house would so-and-so be in if they weren't in Gryffindor? I find it very interesting that Ron, Hermione, and Harry would probably be placed in three different houses. My primary house, I think, would be Ravenclaw. Secondary, Slytherin. Tertiary, Gryffindor (though I wish I was a Gryffindor). Quaternary, Hufflepuff. 

All four of the houses are very different, and this is illustrated in the Sorting Hat's song. If you didn't know, spoiler alert, the sorting hat tells the students which houses they'll be in and also sings and probably smells pretty bad after having millions of students' heads inside of it. Song time:

"You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave of heart,

Their daring nerve and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

 "You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

"Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

"Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends." (118)

The quickest and easiest rundown of the four houses and their styles. This is definitely my favorite of all the hat's songs.

Ron says, "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll" (118). Foreshadowing. Wink. Wink. Nudge. Nudge.

When Harry is called up to try on the hat, the hat spends a long time on his head. This is personal to me, but I imagine this is one of those moments that's real but happening in Harry's head, as Dumbledore puts it. Maybe the hat really is talking to him, but I don't know, I think it was always going to put Harry in Gryffindor no matter what he was thinking. The hat needs a name. My vote goes for Sputnik.

Something to mark in your brain: Harry. Scar pain. That's never something good and always has everything to do with Lord Voldemort. And then they stuff their faces, sing some songs, and go to bed—or something along those lines. There wasn't a lot to talk about this chapter, it was mostly the sorting, but a very important sorting it was. 

I guess I could tell you that when I first read the books I thought the houses were actual houses that surrounded the castle. I also thought there was a pool table in the Gryffindor common room. Screw it, I still think there's a pool table in the Gryffindor common room. 

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

In which Harry takes a journey from platform nine and three-quarters and ends up at Hogwarts. Miraculously.

Oh my gosh, this chapter and the one that follows are two of my favorites in the entire series. This is probably the point where I fell madly in love with the books. One of the excellent things about Harry's character is that, just like us as readers, he is experiencing everything for the first time. The amazing thing about J.K. Rowling's writing is that she takes you through everything, dipping you very slowly into the wizarding world just like Harry. She does a brilliant job, too, of first introducing Hagrid, then Diagon Alley, then the train, then the school.

The first wizards Harry meets on the platform are the Weasleys. I love how even Mrs. Weasley is a little starstruck by Harry Potter at first. Initially Harry and the Weasleys are so different. Harry is rich and famous; they're not-so-rich and not-so-famous. They've grown up as witches and wizards their whole life; Harry just learned he was one a month ago. But as the story progresses we learn that these things are simply face-value statements, and as Harry becomes a part of the Weasley family, we know that deep down they're all made of the same morals and stuff. 

It is revealed that the vault Hagrid and Harry visited had an attempted break in. So that's what Quirrel was doing the day Hagrid and Harry saw him at the Leaky Cauldron. Imagine if they had been shopping an hour or two later. Scary thoughts. 

The next person we meet is the girl who completes the golden trio, or whatever they call themselves, Hermione Granger. She comes off as smarty-pants girl to the extreme at first, but she begins to lose her air of peremptoriness as the story continues and when she starts to become friends with Harry and Ron. 

Neville has a perpetually misplaced toad and a little bit of short-term memory to boot, which is majorly uncool as far as wizards are concerned, but Ron has the murderer-rat, so really who's the worse-off here? Though a majorly creepy rat, Scabbers has his moments, including clawing Crabbe in the face. Really he only has the one moment. 

A funny quote I came across was written on Dumbledore's wizard card: "Professor Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and tenpin bowling." (103) Of course he does. Actually reminds me of a teacher I had once, though she was not nearly as cool.

So after a long journey across the country, the train finally arrives at Hogwarts. The first time Harry sees Hogwarts and the boat ride across the Black Lake to the castle are two of the coolest moments for sure. I never realized the boat ride went through the underneath of the castle into a little cave-tunnel. That is incredible. You learn something new everyday. 

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - Diagon Alley

Diagon Alley

In which Harry comes into a small fortune and, without heeding the proverbial saying, spends it all in one place called Diagon Alley.

Something I never picked up on the first hundred times I read the books was that Diagon Alley is like splitting apart the word "diagonally." Knowing this bit of information makes spelling it just that much harder. I like to the think of the street as a diagonal street though, where nothing is the same size and the people who built it did so without a level or a T-square. I also never imagine there's a sky in Diagon Alley; like, there are so many things happening at ground level that one's eyes could never reach so far as to see the sky. 

When we left off we were still with the Dursleys in the shack on the deserted island. But when morning comes Hagrid takes Harry to London where they enter a tiny place called The Leaky Cauldron. This is the first time Harry runs into a crowd of admirers including Doris Crockford, who I always thought was a guy despite her female name, and Quirinus Quirrel, Harry's soon-to-be Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor. Now it says Quirrel shakes Harry's hand in this bit. He may be wearing gloves or something, or else Voldemort and Quirrel haven't united yet. (I'm not exactly sure what we call this uniting . . . conjoinment, splicing, cuddling?) As we learn later, Voldemort can't touch Harry without being destroyed. 

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter, welcome back." (69) That is a great quote, one of my favorites, like a giant WELCOME HOME, HARRY.  

Then Hagrid does a tappy magicky thingy and the brick wall transforms into a passageway to Diagon Alley. One of my favorite settings in Harry Potter is Diagon Alley. Just the thought of a street full of owls, enchanted objects, magical candy, quill and parchment shops, and apothecaries blows my wee Muggle mind. 

First stop, Gringott's. With the creepy little goblin poem that Harry seems to disregard entirely. After getting gobs of gold from his vault, they delve deeper into the underground, and Hagrid retrieves a package for Dumbledore. To Harry this seems fairly insignificant, but as we all know, it is what the entire book revolves around. In other words, pretty damn significant.

Harry meets two important people in Diagon Alley, one being Draco Malfoy and the other being Garrick Ollivander. And I let out a huge gasp of "what the blaszoozle?!" when looking up Garrick's first name because I could have sworn it was Oliver. Malfoy first. I think it was important for Harry to meet Malfoy now, or at least before the sorting, because if he decided his dislike of Malfoy just because he was a Slytherin, I don't think their mutual hate of each other would be as meaningful. 

Then on to Garrick. I feel like he's a human encyclopedia of everyone in the wizarding world, knowing their name, age, wand-type. The man has a knack for remembering things. And when the phoenix feather wand chose Harry, he knew a feather from the same phoenix resided in Voldemort's wand . . . curious. 

Last thing that happens is that Hagrid and Harry eat hamburgers, and Harry takes a train home. This is by far the most important part of the story. Hamburgers. 

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Keeper of the Keys

The Keeper of the Keys

In which the mysterious giant of a man named Hagrid visits the shack out on the abandoned island and presents Harry with a birthday cake, a letter inviting him to Hogwarts, and some important information.

This is the point in the book were the tides change in Harry's favor. The part that gets you really hooked. After Hagrid reveals that Harry is a wizard, suddenly certain things about Harry's life make sense. Why he's been such an outcast, why the Dursleys have an unnatural hate for him that stems beyond his just being in their lives, why strange things seem to happen to him when he's mad, sad, or upset, and even why he has such strange dreams. Not just a wizard, but a famous wizard to boot.

Something that makes Hagrid such a lovable part of the books is that he's the great rescuer. He rescues Harry the night Harry's parents are killed, he rescues Harry from the Dursleys, and he's the one that is in charge of keeping Harry safe in Deathly Hallows when they rescue him from Privet Drive for the last time. Though he doesn't seem the hero-ish type, he does have some major roles in keeping Harry safe, and in that regard, he is Harry's hero and great friend. And Hagrid's moleskin coat/pink umbrella combination is just so cuddly. 

After the initial statement of "Harry—yer a wizard"(50) more details come out that the Dursleys have been keeping from Harry his entire life. Hagrid tells the quick version of the night his parents die, a plotline that will reappear countless times over the course of the series. Something else that will reappear numerous times: "Yeh look a lot like yer dad, but yeh've got yer mom's eyes."(47) or something to that effect. 

So for now, Harry has just received the greatest birthday present ever, Dudley has a pig's tail, and he will finally be leaving the awful Dursleys and going to a school for wizards. "He's off ter the finest school of witchcraft and wizardry in the world. Seven years there and he won't even know himself."(58) Such a true statement.

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Review // Wonderstruck

Wonderstruck

by Brian Selznick

I got this book for Christmas, having no idea what it was or what it was about—knowing only that it was freaking heavy as far as books go.

This is the kind of book that I don't really want to tell anyone anything about, because it's more fun reading if you've got no no earthly what you're going to encounter. If you do need a summary . . . this book is about storms, wolves, the sky, friends, museums, stories, stars (both kinds), family, mysteries, and silence. The story tells the tales of Rose and Ben—Roses's through pictures, Ben's through words.

Despite it being over 600 pages, this book is actually rather short. It shouldn't take you more than an hour or two. Most of the bulk of the book consists of wonderful full-page pencil drawings. Trust me here, the pictures are gorgeous. Though its laid out in an order, the author leaves it up to you to figure out what kind of story you want to tell about the events that are drawn. It's kind of like a picture book for older kids (which I think is the age group this book is meant for—about 8- to 13-year-olds). It brings back memories of childhood and making up the stories to you Winnie the Pooh and Dr. Seuss books because you couldn't read the actual words. The unique setup is one of the things that adds to the magic of Wonderstruck.

Very short review, but I don't really want to say much else, because I don't want to spoil any part of it for you! Just go read it.

★★★★★ - 5/5

Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Letters from No One

The Letters from No One

In which many letters addressed to Harry Potter find their way into 4 Privet Drive sending Uncle Vernon into an angry tizzy.

Harry has this really excellent mischievous quality about him that he uses against Dudley and the Dursleys when he's feeling particularly ballsy. His sly mind gets him into trouble, but it also gets him out of it. I think this trademark mischievousness is something he gets from his dad, but it's also characteristic of wizards in general. We get to see this firsthand when he receives his first piece of mail. Addressed to him in his cupboard under the stairs, Harry has never received mail before this letter. Though Uncle Vernon destroys the letter, more and more keep coming in peculiar ways: in Petunia's eggs, through the cracks in the windowsills, and through the chimney. Harry has no idea at this point that wizards are trying to contact him, but it does show that he belongs with them. He's never fit in with anyone he knows. Of course at this point he has no idea that the letters are from wizards, inviting him to a place he'll call home.

It's kind of sad but the few times the Dursleys ever show affection towards Harry are when they are scared. one of these moments is when Vernon visits Harry in his cupboard after the first letter is gone and lets Harry move to Dudley's spare bedroom. A lot of the seemingly cruel things Vernon says I believe are said more out of fear than anger. An example would be when talking with Petunia in the kitchen after the first letter arrives he says, "didn't we swear when we took him in we'd stamp out that dangerous nonsense?"(36) Vernon's fear is so great that he buys a gun and skips town to avoid a bunch of paper. Courage.

Turning our focus to Aunt Petunia, it seems like she has no control over her husband. Growing up with Lily, Petunia knew Harry's magic couldn't be "stamped out," yet she makes no attempts to tell Vernon about this, implying that she is either scared of magic, is scared of her husband, or knows Vernon probably wouldn't listen to her if she tried to explain to him because he's so afraid of magic. 

Vernon goes stark, raving mad and takes his whole family on a crazy driving adventure that lands them in a tiny shack on a tiny island in the middle of a storm. It looks like once again, Harry will celebrate his birthday alone. Until—"BOOM. The whole shack shivered and Harry sat bolt upright, staring at the door. Someone was outside, knocking to come in."(45) One of my favorite parts in the book. Next chapter, though.

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Vanishing Glass

The Vanishing Glass

In which ten-year-old Harry accompanies the Dursleys to the zoo and frees a python, then gets in big trouble.

This chapter has less plot-driving action than the first, but there are a few key things that it'd be important to touch on, the first of which is that Harry shows signs of magic at a very young age. He describes these chance encounters as "strange things" that randomly happen to him, but it's obviously very normal for wizards who can't control their magic. Things like being hugged by random strangers in the street, jumping all the way on to the school's roof when being chased, shrinking one of Dudley's awful sweaters, and regrowing his hair top the list of abnormal things that happen to him. "Abnormal" being the key word here, because it's a sure bet the "normal" Dursley's don't approve.

And another one of these unusual occurrences happens when Mrs. Figg breaks her leg on Dudley's birthday. (Pay attention to the Figg, she's important  four years later.) Since no one can babysit Harry he's allowed to accompany the Dursley's and Dudley's best friend, Piers Polkiss, to the zoo. The day seems too good to be true, since Harry is rarely allowed to go to places that aren't 4 Privet Drive, Mrs. Figg's, or school—and it is. Harry Potter is punished severely when he lets a python free in the reptile house. 

Which brings us to the other piece of magic that he can do. Talk to snakes. When Harry finds out about magic and that he is a wizard, he thinks the ability to talk to snakes is just a part of the package. But he's very wrong—it's unusual even for a wizard—and that'll resurface in Chamber of Secrets.  

We should rewind to the beginning of the chapter and talk about the Dursleys again. I can't actually imagine them clearly, because the things they do are so outrageously unreal. Making Harry live in a cupboard and sending him there without meals? Letting their son Dudley use him as a punching bag? Giving him only hand-me-downs to wear? The list goes on and on, but these are things I couldn't imagine happening to someone. I know the Dursleys didn't choose to have Harry living with them but they do, and their behavior is unacceptable.

The last point I would like to bring up is that Harry's strange dreams start way way back in his childhood. From dreaming about blinding flashes of light to dreaming about flying motorcycles, these dreams have some merit to them. His dreams aren't just coincidences, and this is another reoccurring theme throughout the series. 

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Harry Potter Hullaballoo - The Boy Who Lived

The Boy Who Lived

In which we meet the Dursleys, and Harry is rescued and brought by flying motorcycle to number four, Privet Drive. 

"There was nothing about the cloudy sky outside to suggest that strange and mysterious things would soon be happening."(6) Reading the first chapter again reminded me that, as brilliant of a writer J.K. Rowling is, she really has gotten much much better as the stories progress—which is a great thing, because as the children who read this book when they were six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, or twelve grow up, they grow alongside Harry, and the writing only improves. It's pretty clear by the way the first chapter of the book is presented; the almost cartoonish descriptions of Mr. and Mrs. Dursley and their son Dudley, the strangely-clad people in the streets, and the very simple and straightforward concepts; that the first book is primarily geared toward a younger crowd. But it becomes even more evident, mainly when Harry arrives at Hogwarts, that there are much deeper concepts at the root of the story that even grownups can benefit from.

The Dursleys are normal to the point of abnormality, so the way the events in the first chapter unfold that you instantly know magic is at work despite their uneasiness even thinking about the subject. Owls fluttering about sending messages, people in strange cloaks, falling stars. Clearly something has happened, and it involves wizards, much to the dismay of Vernon and Petunia. It's really amazing the level of distress Lily has unintentionally caused Petunia, for Mrs. Dursley lives so much of her life in fear of her sister, James, and their son Harry. It's sad, really.

The planning that went into this book just amazes me, sometimes. Especially when I come across little things like the newscaster whose name just happens to be Ted. I heard a tiny rumor that the Ted who allows himself a small grin while giving the evening forecast in this chapter is Ted Tonks. I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or not, but it blew my mind all the same.

Then we meet Albus Dumbledore. "Everything from his name to his boots was unwelcome"(9) on Privet Drive. The description of Dumbledore in this passage is very colorful and suggests that he is kind of a wizard-hippie, at least to me. Despite his quirky qualities, he's still an obviously very prominent wizard. Rather peculiar, but influences people every day. If wonder what he knew that night, if he had any hunches about the years that would follow. I think he might touch on it in the fifth book, but I honestly don't remember too well. Something really brilliant about Dumbledore is that he never underestimates Voldemort's abilities. The two share a mutual fear of each other that carries throughout the series and makes them seem more human and less hero.

After a brief talk about the state of the wizarding world comes one of the most iconic moments in the entire series. The moment when Hagrid swoops down to Privet Drive on a motorcycle with the one-year-old Harry Potter in his arms and delivers him safely to the place that will be his home for the next eleven years. "One small hand closed on the letter beside [Harry] and he slept on, not knowing he was famous . . . He couldn't know that at this very moment, people meeting in secret all over the country were holding up their glasses and saying in hushed voices: 'To Harry Potter—the boy who lived!'"(17)

Near the end, Dumbledore says something like "every child in the world will know his name." I know J.K. Rowling couldn't have predicted any of the success that Harry Potter has brought her, but the statement is true, even to us muggles.

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